DEBENHAMS has announced a radical makeover to take the “hard work” out of shopping, but concerns over the cost of giving its customers the VIP treatment left its shares out of fashion.

New chief executive Sergio Bucher insisted the department store must become a destination for “social shopping” to tap into the rise in leisure spending by consumers who “increasingly live their lives through their mobile phones”.

He signalled the closure of 11 warehouses and said up to 10 UK stores could close over the next five years.

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Chief executive Sergio Bucher insisted Debenhams must become a destination for 'social shopping'

Some brands could disappear and the group could exit some international markets. Stores will be “decluttered” after some customers likened their shopping experience in some branches to a “treasure hunt”, stock replenished more quickly and about 2,000 more staff switched to dealing directly with customers to boost service standards.

More in-store beauty makeovers will be added. Annual capital spending will increase by £20million to £150million between 2018 and 2020, while exceptional costs over the next four years will be £50million.

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He signalled the closure of 11 warehouses said up to 10 UK stores could close

Bucher said: “Our customers are changing the way they shop and we are changing too. Shopping with Debenhams should be effortless, reliable and fun whichever channel our customers use.

Our customers are changing the way they shop and we are changing too

Sergio Bucher

"We will be a destination for ‘social shopping’ with mobile the unifying platform for interacting with our customers.

“If we deliver differentiated and distinctive brands, services and experience both online and in stores, our customers will visit us more frequently and, having simplified our operations to make us more efficient, we will be able to serve them better and make better use of our resources.

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Some brands could disappear and the group could exit some international markets

Could this be the hijab collection Debenhams plans to sell?

Mon, February 13, 2017

Hijabs will be sold in UK department stores after retailer Debenhams announced it would become the first to stock the Islamic dress as part of a new range of Muslim clothing.
London-based clothing brand Aab, which is behind the line, describes itself as selling ‘contemporary modest wear’ for women.